September 15, 2008
Best Groomsmen Gifts
A friend who's getting married soon asked for suggestions for groomsmen gifts. Having been a groomsman plenty of times so far, I had a few ideas.
I've been a groomsman about 10 times, so I've gotten a bunch of things. The classic gift is a money clip or business card case, but I'll admit I rarely use the ones I've received. Mostly because I don't use a money clip that often (um, not much money to put in it?), and I have an old Levenger leather business card holder from the early 90s that holds a lot more than the little metal ones.
But here are some nifty ideas:
I gave my groomsmen Spyderco knives, like the one I always carry but with their initials engraved in them (these were much cheaper back then).
The knives they have at places like Things Remembered and such are crap, so I splurged for the one I personally like. Figured if these guys were close enough to be in my wedding I should get them something I'd want myself. Funny thing is that when we all get together for poker or something we're all still carrying them.
One friend gave us all different things based on what we were into--he gave me a pocket knife, another guy (cyclist) a bike tool thing, another guy (hiker/backpacker) this compass gizmo, one guy a stainless liquor flask, etc. He knows all of us well.
Another useful choice: cheap Leatherman tools like the Micra?
Or a Swiss Army Knife? Always handy. I carry the Victorinox Signature 2 Lite that has a ballpoint pen and a red LED.
Buck makes some good cheaper knives that are key-ring sized and have a small blade and a bottle opener--the two tools guys would use the most often--like the Buck Metro.
Another nifty gadget idea is one of the new super-bright LED flashlights. The new redesigned Streamlight Stylus Pro is great and much cheaper than the SureFire.
Zippo lighters are classic and cool, even for non-smokers. Useful when camping, etc.